Chapter 218: Family

Ace glided along the coast at the edge of Des Town and arrived at the Ace Estate around midnight.

The estate was silent at night, save for the murmuring of running water. The low rammed-earth wall surrounded the estate town. The paved roads crisscrossed like a chessboard. The lights in several guard posts and the master’s residence remained lit.

Ace did not rush to enter the estate. He activated the Soul Spell Transformation, turning into a Night Owl. He silently flew over the guard posts and landed in a corner inside the estate.

As soon as the Night Owl hit the ground, it changed like liquid, transforming into a black cat in a short time.

Black cat Ace agilely jumped a few times, climbing to the roof of a four-story residential building. He stretched his neck to look at the familiar estate, his eyes revealing a hint of nostalgia.

The Soul Spells Insight Perception and Mana Sensitivity in his Soul Sanctuary activated simultaneously. Black cat Ace closed his eyes. In the black-and-white perception field, every detail of the estate town was revealed. Ace soon discovered a problem.

There was a particularly strong white light in the master’s residence. Judging by the brightness, it should be a Pseudo-Hero.

“Why would a Divine Descendant Noble come to the estate, and a Pseudo-Hero at that?” black cat Ace spoke in human language, then leaped down lightly, running toward the villa area.

Ace planned to find his slave steward, Carson, to understand the situation clearly.

Inside Carson’s villa on the estate, he had been busy all day and hadn’t slept yet. Feeling somewhat fearful and anxious, he got up and lit an oil lamp.

In the shadows of a corner he didn’t notice, a black cat quietly sneaked in.

As a middle-aged man, he had always harbored some ambition and fighting spirit. A slave might not necessarily remain unfree. Such examples were common in the city-state: slaves were released by their masters for outstanding performance, forming a natural patronage relationship.

This so-called patronage relationship meant a patron and a client. Once released, a slave was still required to be loyal to the patron for life. The relationship between the two was comparable to kinship.

This relationship had no legal constraints, but it was established by custom and almost no one violated it. If violated, it would not be tolerated by social customs.

This was the future Carson hoped for: to be released and become a new Freeman, still serving the master, but with more possibilities for himself and his descendants.

He had been working diligently. As the estate prospered day by day, this thought lingered. Who wouldn’t yearn for freedom?

Only better performance could persuade the master’s family. Unfortunately, the master’s family was about to be replaced by a Divine Descendant Noble. He would have to start over, and his position might not even be guaranteed.

Just as Carson was sighing and lamenting, rune structures appeared in the black cat’s eyes. Invisible Mana began to pulse, gathering in the black cat’s eyes, transforming into almost tangible Mana that surged into Carson’s body.

Carson instantly stiffened. In less than a second, the rune structure of Charm Human appeared behind his back.

Standing in the shadows, the black cat used the Lesser Spell Ghost Sound to question Carson.

Half an hour later, Ace knocked Carson unconscious with a Hammer of Oblivion, used a Spell Hand to toss him onto the bed, leaped lightly out the window, and ran toward the master’s residence.

He had learned the gist of the situation. His family and the Ace Estate had become footnotes in the power struggle of the upper echelons, inadvertently dragged into a troublesome political vortex.

He felt somewhat anxious but suppressed his emotions, calmly arriving at the residence. The familiar residence was filled with unfamiliar guards. Through Mana Sensitivity, he knew several of them were Divine Descendant Nobles.

Ace assessed the opponent’s approximate strength and activated his Soul Spell Illusion Barrier, instantly enveloping the entire residence.

Except for Dean, all the other foreign guards fell into the illusion within about five seconds, easily controlled by Ace.

Dean, enveloped by the Illusion Barrier, was forced to undergo a will check. He suddenly fell into a nightmare, dreaming that he was being bitten by countless snakes, unable to break free no matter how he struggled.

Just then, the crystal resembling a teardrop on his chest suddenly shattered, forming water-blue ripples that enveloped him, instantly waking him from the inescapable nightmare.

Dean looked at the water-blue ripples on his body, his hair standing on end. He grabbed his clothes, put them on, snatched his elegant longsword, and burst out the door.

“An unidentified person has arrived here. The attack method is very mysterious. Could it be a child of the God of Dreams? Thanks to the Mermaid’s Tear given by Father, I woke up. The situation is unclear; I must leave immediately. Self-preservation is paramount.”

Dean walked cautiously, several thoughts racing through his mind.

Several Divine Descendants he knew ran over, covered in blood. One of them shouted: “Lord Dean, run quickly! An unidentified person attacked this place!”

Dean moved slightly away from them cautiously. He had heard that the children of the God of Dreams were extremely troublesome and could even control others in dreams. He said: “Stop! How can you prove you are not controlled by the nightmare?”

The Divine Descendant who had just spoken thought for a moment and said: “My Lord, look at the blood all over me. I woke up from the nightmare through pain. Even if you don’t trust us, please flee this place first!”

Dean still didn’t quite believe them, but the sense of danger compelled him. He took a step back, his handsome face somewhat twisted, and said: “I can trust no one right now. Let us flee separately and meet at the Royal City!”

With that, he leaped elegantly, stepping on strange ripples, actually running quickly through the air.

The others looked at each other, smiled bizarrely, and leaped into the air, about to attack Dean.

Dean dodged elegantly. Although their weapons grazed his body, fortunately, there were no serious injuries. He had no desire to fight. After forcing them back with his longsword, he escaped directly with an elegant maneuver.

Ace stood on the rammed-earth wall, Insight Perception fully active, staring at Dean’s every move. Seeing the magical marks left on Dean by the several Divine Descendant Nobles, a sneer appeared on his lips.

He threw out five Glycerin Magic Tubes and guided the spell. Ultra-Long Air Pressure Railgun appeared.

Combined with the guidance of the Spell Model, the Glycerin Magic Tubes served as Casting Material, instantly exploding within the railgun. Five massive Tracking Inferno Missiles whistled out, heading straight for the fleeing Dean.

Dean, in desperate flight, felt the threat of death. He dodged elegantly, trying to evade the Inferno Missiles. To his surprise, the missiles turned and continued flying toward him.

Too late to dodge, Dean raised his right hand. The crystal bracelet on his wrist emitted light, transforming into a solid guard that actually withstood the explosion of the Inferno Missiles.

Ace frowned. Maintaining the Ultra-Long Air Pressure Railgun, he threw out fifteen Glycerin Magic Tubes. Boom!

Continuous explosions sounded. Burning giant Inferno Missiles whistled out one after another. Dean looked at the incoming missiles, despair in his eyes.

Ace observed with Insight Perception, watching Dean’s guard being broken bit by bit. The man was reduced to ashes in the explosion of the excessive Inferno Missiles. Ace turned calmly and notified Daina through the Grimoire to lead the fleet to the estate’s small harbor immediately.

Only then did he anxiously walk into the residence, waking Romon and Marina, who were sound asleep under the influence of the Illusion Barrier.

Romon woke up groggily. Under the warm light of the Controllable Light Orb, he looked at Ace, whom he hadn’t seen for over three years. Tears suddenly welled up in his eyes. He reached out, touched Ace’s cheek, and said tearfully:

“Ace, you’ve grown taller and stronger. How did you come back? Am I still dreaming? Your estate, your hard work is gone. Your old man failed you…”

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